When does free speech cross the line? What does the First Amendment really protect? And when does speech become harassment in schools?
Please join the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Jewish Community Relations Council and Brandeis Law Society for an important program to help you understand the laws around the First Amendment and hate speech in schools.
Hear from former Regional Director Beth Gellman-Beer and former Chief Attorney Amy Niedzalkoski of the Philadelphia Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education. Together, they will talk about the laws regarding Title VI Shared Ancestry Harassment, and they will share real-world examples about what constitutes free speech and what obligations schools have to respond to reports of harassment.
Register by Monday, Nov. 10. Advance registration is required.
EVENT DETAILS
Date & Time:
Monday, Nov. 17
7-8:30 p.m.
Location:
Har Zion Temple
1500 Hagys Ford Road, Penn Valley, PA 19072
Additional Information:
- For security purposes, advance registration is required by Monday, Nov. 10.
- Government IDs are subject to verification and bags are subject to search.
- By attending this event, you agree to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Terms and Conditions.
- For more information about this event, please contact events@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0534.
- For questions or more information about the Jewish Community Relations Council, contact the Jewish Federation’s Director of Government Affairs Robin Schatz at rschatz@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0654.
ABOUT ThE Speakers
Beth Gellman-Beer
Beth Gellman-Beer, esq., co-founded Evergreen Education Solutions with a vision to build a consulting firm that can provide educational institutions with an authoritative source on federal civil rights laws.
With decades of civil service experience at the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Gellman-Beer is a subject-matter expert on federal anti-discrimination statutes, implementing regulations, and evolving policy perspectives, with specific expertise in how institutions should respond to complaints of discrimination and harassment on the bases of race, color, national origin, shared ancestry, sex, disability and age. While at OCR, Beth served in all aspects of enforcement and regional leadership, including as Chief Attorney and Regional Director of the Philadelphia regional office, and in service to schools throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
A graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, Gellman-Beer is driven by the belief that education is the front line of civil rights in the twenty-first century and that creating equitable educational environments and eliminating barriers to access for everyone is of paramount importance to our nation.
Amy Niedzalkoski
As co-founder of Evergreen Education Solutions, Amy Niedzalkoski brings her lifelong
commitment to public service to the intersection of law, education and civil rights.
In more than twenty years with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil
Rights (OCR), Niedzalkoski investigated and resolved thousands of complaints and compliance reviews alleging discrimination in our nation’s schools.
Her extensive experience in investigation, negotiation, mediation, policy review, and teaching has been lauded by colleagues, school officials, and legal professionals nationwide. Her expertise with Title IX, Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VI, and the Age Discrimination Act has led to some of OCR’s most impactful and consequential enforcement work of the past two decades.
Niedzalkoski’s passion for education is rooted in her background as an educator herself. She has taught in both K-12 and postsecondary settings, including in Philadelphia area charter schools and colleges. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.